Ian McKellen to open all-trans production of Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’
Posted On
(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Hollywood stalwart Ian McKellen is set to open an all-trans production of Shakespeare’s most gender-fluid play, ‘Twelfth Night’.
Trans theatre company, Trans What You Will, is dedicated to staging classic Shakespearean plays with trans and non-binary performers. Their next offering will take on Twelfth Night at The Space in London.
As Trans What You Will describes it, “you’ve got a lady disguised as a man, seducing another lady on behalf of a lord, but nothing goes to plan when the lady falls for the disguised lady, and the disguised lady falls for the lord!”
McKellen added his own take on that reading. In the official announcement on Instagram, the beloved actor stated, “Twelfth Night is perhaps the funniest and most moving of Shakespeare’s plays. This is achieved through the complexity of gender and sexuality from first to last.” He finally added, “I’m really looking forward to the impact of this latest version of the play at The Space.”
Director Phoebe Kemp said of the undertaking, “Twelfth Night already toys with gender and performance – it feels like Shakespeare wrote it for us. This reading is about joy, solidarity and showing what’s possible when trans and nonbinary artists are at the centre of the story.”
To make viewing as accessible as possible, Trans What You Will are offering a live stream of the production. The production will be staged on 25th July 2025, on the eve of London Trans Pride. They are also crowdfunding for production costs; any further profit will be donated to the charity Not a Phase.
In a recent interview, McKellen appealed to young actors are still afraid to come out as queer. McKellen insisted: “Don’t listen to your advisers, listen to your heart. Listen to your gay friends who know better. Come out. Get into the sunshine.”
He also commented on the prevalence of LGBTQ+ voices and communities in the film industry, saying: “I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it. I feel sorry for any famous person who feels they can’t come out. Being in the closet is silly — there’s no need for it.”
Related Topics
